HOW AVAILABLE ARE CHAPLAINS TO PRISONERS?
IT DEPENDS
The availability of a chaplain varies. Some only visit the unit occasionally or perhaps only on certain days of the week, while others are full time. If the chaplain is an employee of the Department of Corrections (DOC), he/she may have many administrative duties that restrict the amount of time available for prisoners. Volunteer chaplains and/or volunteer chaplain's assistants are often more free to spend time serving the prison population.
LIMITED CHOICES
Chaplains come from all faiths. They may or may not be Christians. No matter what their faith, chaplains are required to provide services for prisoners of all faiths.
SEEK APPROVAL
Chaplains rely heavily on volunteers from local churches and communities in order to provide all the worship services and religious classes for prisoners. Volunteer-led programs must always be pre-approved by the chaplain and usually the warden. Approval is based on the needs of the facility, needs of the prisoners, available space, existing program schedules, and the proposed volunteer activity.
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